Reports out of Kananaskis Country indicate that bears are waking up from their winter hibernation and, as usual, they're hungry.

Paul Frame the Provincial Carnivore Specialist with Fish and Wildlife Policy for Alberta Environment and Parks confirms the bears are up in Kananaskis and other areas of the province, and it's a fairly normal time for their awakening.

"Yep, yep, this is pretty much right in line with the average time bears get up.  Some individuals will get up earlier, others will get up a little later.  Our colleagues with F.I.R research in Hinton have also had some of their radio collared bears just get up this week and start moving around."

Frame says when bears get up from their long nap, they have one thing on their mind.  "A bear's been sleeping through the winter and they get up and the first thing they're thinking about is food pretty much.  So they're looking for food and this time of year natural food is often scarce on the landscape so we've got to be thinking about that around our places."

Frame says people living in areas that bears might come into need to secure anything that might smell like food to a bear.  "Garbage, feed, that kind of thing.  A lot of people are starting to keep chickens now.  You want to be thinking about smells associated with any type of activity around your place.  You want to secure that so it's not going to attract a bear into your yard."

With the nicer spring weather, as bears get more active, so do people.  Frame warns that situational awareness is important when you're travelling in the backcountry.  

"Where are you going, are there warnings in the area, has a bear been sighted, reading signs at trail heads is really important.  Make noise as you're travelling so you don't surprise a bear.  That's one thing people really want to avoid is surprising a bear."

Frame has one more tip.  "Carry bear spray.  That's the number one thing you can do to protect yourself.  There's research that bear spray is more effective in preventing a bear encounter from ending poorly for the people if they're carrying bear spray over firearms."

 

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com